Switch stand



B. CHINI.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION mw sEPmr, 192|.

Patented Nov. 28,- 1922.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

B. CHINI.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I 7. 1921.

' 1,437,226, mallteam 28,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.`

Patented Nov. 28, i922.

are

` 1,437,226 r ortica Bnr'rnsrn carni, or FLUSHING, omo.

SWITCH STAND.

Application led September 17, 19.21; i Serial No. 501,249'.

v and useful lmprovements in a Switch Stand;

and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which it appertains to malte and usey the same. t

The object of the invention is to provide a switch stand or switch operating mechanism whereby the switch rails may readily be moved from open to closed position or the reverse thereof and is held locked in either position against accidental displacement by jarring or' vibration, and while capable of movement from one position to the other without the release or specific operation of any particular locking means, can beadjustedonly` by the exercise of a considerable amount of force by reason of the fact that the holding or retaining element is yieldingly held in position to lock the switch rail by' a relatively heavily tensioned spring; and with this object in view theinvention consists in a construction, combination and relation of parts of which preferred embodr' ments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general view in plan of a switch mechanism including a stand havingy a locking means embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the switch stand. Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the standfshowing the switch operating and locking. means.

Figures il, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figure 3 showing respectively modiiiedforms of the 'switch operating vand locking means. y

Figure 7 is a side view of the construction illustrated? in Figure 6 to show the relation of the hand lever in connection with the switch operating member.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of a preferred form of. bearing for the 4operating arm of thejmeohanism on the plane indicated bythe line 8 8 of Figure 3'.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the base plate at and parallel with the end of the slot in which the hand lever is moved,vto show one of the terminal contacts for engagement by the' operating mem- The switch stand 1Q includes the base 11 and hand lever 12, suitably pivoted as indicated at 13 and having a forked extremity 14 for engagement with the tapered extremityl 15 of a switch rail operating member 16, consis'ting inthe construction illustrated in F igures 1, 2 and 3, of an angle lever fulc'rumed at 1'? and havingits arm 18 connected by ay bolt 19 or the equivalentthereof to a switch bar 2O extending to the' switch rail, 21.

In this form of the apparatus the arm 18 ofthe angle or bell crank lever constitutes an element of' the means for locking the switch rail in its adjusted position, and in" cooperation `therewith is arelatively strong contractile spring 22 connected with rsaid arm 18, at a distance from thefulcruin thereof, as tothebolt 19 by which the switch bar is connected therewith, the other end of the spring being' so positioned with relation to the limited path of swingingv movement ofl the arm 18, that when the said arm is at the limits' of its movement or path, at which the switch rail-is respectively in itsclosed kor opened position, the line of strain of the spring 22 is at one side or the other of the plane of the pivot or fulcrum 417y of said bell cranlr lever and thus serves to'` hold the said leyer in its adjusted positions, with the operating'arm thereof, with which engagement is made by the hand lever, in contact with one or the other of the stops 23.` In the construction shownin Figure 8" the inner end of the spring, or the end opposite to that which is connected with the yarm 18 of the bell crankv or oscillatory lever, is attached to a kfined eye or clip 24 and in IFigure 3 the terminal and oppositely locking positions' of the spring are shown yrespectively in full and dottedk lines Vto constitute inl connection withthe karm 18 an eccentric or dead-center lock.

lNhile the parts may be moved from' one adjusted' position to the other, to correspondingly throw the switch rail, by means of the hand lever, it will be obvious that considerable force must be applied in opposition to the tension of the spring to move the arm 18 from one'o'f its terminal positions to a position in which the spring is in the plane of the fulcrum 17. The further movement of the parts, after the spring reaches a position of alignment is assisted by the springA and the tension ofthe latter thu's serves to hold the parts in the newly adjusted position against movementI in the opposite direction.

ln the 'modified form of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 4: the switch rail operating member 1G which is adapted for actuation as in the form shown in Figure 3 by means of a suitable hand lever and is fulcrumed at 17a, with anarm`18il connected byl means of a bolt 19a with the switch bar 20a, is provided with a locking means iiicluding a contractile spring 22 cooperating with the arm 18n and adapted for arrangement upon either side oit the plane ot the fulcrum 17et as previously described, but in this form the inner end of the spring is movably mounted by means of a carrier 23a, taking the place ot the eye or staple 28 of the form shown in Figure 3, said carrier being ulcrumed at 24and being geared at its inner end as shown at 25 to the inner end 2G of the arm 18, so that the carrier moves with the arm 18a in direction opposite thereto, to cause a more extensive bodily movement of the spring 22L than is possible with the torni shown in Figure 3 for the reason that both ends of said spring` are moved transversely with the adjustment ot the switch rail, to position the line of its strain or draft upon opposite sides of the plane of the Yl'ulcruni 17a of the locking arm 18a. In other words in the forni shown in Figure 11 both ends of the contractile spring are moved relative to the ulcrum 17"1 and as ya consequence a greater amplitude ot' displacement of the line oi" draft from the vplane of the fulcrum 17n may be secured, to increase, if required the resistance offered by the parts to a change oiE position in throwing the switch rail and greater security in locking the switch rail in its adjusted position.

In the further modified construction illustrated in Figure 5 the switch rail operating member 16h,` adapted as in the previous torni to be operated by suitable han'd lever, carries the arm 18h, the fulcrum being indicated at,17b, and said arm 18b being connected as `before with the switch bar 2Ob with a contractile spring 22b connected with the arm 181 near its extremity, but in this instance a movable anchor is provided for the inner end of said spring consisting of a carrier 231J having a rack 27 with which meshes a gear 25h in turn meshing with a gear tace 2Gb concentric with the t'ulcrum 17h, so that movement of the switch rail operating member from one position to the other causes a movement of the carrier23b in a direction corresponding with the ree end of the arm 18h, to give a considerable amplitude of bodily movement of thespring 22b to position it, in the adjusted positions of the switch bar, at considerable distances upon opposite sides ot the piane ot the fulcruin 17h, for a reason corresponding with that given iii regard to the modification shown in Figure 4. A heavier spring may be employed with this construction if desired to increase the security with which the switch rail is held in its adjusted positionor the distance through which the spring passes or the displacement thereoil upon either side oi the plane et the liulcrum 17a may be increased, to correspondingly increase the security ot the lock.

ln the modihed form shown in Figure 6, the switch rail operating member 16c consists of a sliding bail actuable as -indicated f., i in Figure i by a hand lever y28 having :1 tapered extremity 29 for engagement with a slot 30, said bar 16C having racks 26b for engagement with gears 25C concentric with the pivotal' points 170 at the inner ends of locking arms 18c of which the remote ends are connected by a contractile spring 22c adapted for arrangement upon opposite sides of the plane of the tulcrums 17C ot said arms 8c to correspond with the open or closed positions oit' the switch rail, and serving to loclr the parts as previously described in the adjusted positions of the switch rail.

1t will thus be seen that in all the various forms or adaptations ot the invention the switch rail operating member is adapted to be locked with the switch rail in its adjusted position, whether open or closed, by| means involving an eccentric or dead center lock and iiicludiiiga swinging or pivotal arm or member with which is connected a contractile spring movable with and by the said swinging arm or member to occupy positions respectively at opposite sides oit the plane ot the 'fulcrum ot' the said arm or member, so that the tensile strain ot the spring is applied in a direction tending to continue the shifting movement of ythe raii operating member and thus hold the rail in its adjusted position.

As a means ot reducing the frictional resistance offered by movement of the operating member which in the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 includes the arm 18 carried by the member 16,it is preferred to employ a ball bearing as indicated at 81, wherein the balls are arranged in an annular race or runway between the operating member and the base plate 11, as shown particularly in Figure 8. v

Moreover inasmuch as under some conditions it is desirable to have a visible evidence et the tact that the operating member of the switch mechanism is in one or the other of its adjusted positions, with the switch rail in either the open or closed position, there may as indicated in Figures 1 and 3 be employed in connection therewith an indicator having differently colored electric light units 32 and 33 included in circuits 822L and 33 with a battery 311 and the contact- 32l and 331 arranged in the paths ot movement in oppo-A site direction of the tapered extremity 15 of the operating member 16, said contact being insulated as at 35 from the base plate so and means whereby when one end of the spring is shifted to a peint at one side of the pivot of the member first named, the other end of the spring will also be shifted.

2. A switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base plate having a slot therein and upstanding bearing ears adjacent said slot, an operating handle pivoted to said bearing ears and extending through the slot, arms arranged at an angle to each other and pivoted to said base and disposed at the under side thereof, and operating connections between said arms and said operating handle whereby on movement of the oper-l ating handle the arms move simultaneously.

3. A. switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base plate having a slot therein and upstanding bearing ears adjacent said slot, an operating handle pivoted to said bearing ears and extending through the slot, arms arranged at an angle to each other and pivoted to said base plate and disposed at the under side thereof, a contractile spring connected to one of said arms adjacent its free end and serving to hold' it in a position at either side of its pivot, and operating connections l between said arms and said handle whereby on movement of the handle the arms move simultaneously.

4. A switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base plate having a slot therein and upstanding bearing ears adjacent said slot, an operating handle pivoted to said bearing earsand extending through the slot, a bellcrank lever pivoted to said plate and disposed at the under side thereof, a contractile spring connected to one arm of said bell crank lever adjacent its free end and serving to hold the arm in a position at either side of its pivot, and operating connections between the other arm of said bell crank lever and said operating handle whereby on movement of the operating handle the switch rail is moved.

5. [i switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base plate having a slot thereinand upstanding bearing ears adjacent said slot, an operating handle pivoted toi said bearing ears and extending through the slot, a bell crank lever pivoted to said plate and disposed at the under side thereof, and operating connections between one arm of said bell crank lever and the operatingy handle whereby on movement of the operating handle the bell crank is moved.

6. switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base, members carried by said base and having gear teeth formed thereon, a contractile spring having one end fastened to one of said members and having its other end fastened to another of said members, and means for causing said members to move in unison and to shift the second end of the spring upon the shifting of the rst enc.

7. .switch rail operating mechanism comprising a base plate, spaced movable members carried by said base plate and being provided with teeth, a contractile spring having one end secured to each of said members, a member intermediate said members and having teeth meshingy with the teeth of thev spaced members, and an operating handle to movesaid members and to thereby cause the shifting of the spring.

ln testimony whereof I afX my signature in presence 4of two witnesses.

BATTESTA CHlNI.

Witnesses:

MARY O. HoLLowAY, H. H. HoLL/owA'Y. 

